Business Administration Major

Undergraduate Business Administration Degree Program

The College of Business faculty works together closely to support the University’s liberal arts mission. Accordingly, the integrated curriculum provides a balanced rigorous foundation in the core areas of Accounting, Management Information Systems, Finance, Management, and Marketing, all in the context of the broad liberal arts environment provided by the University.

The Faculty hold high expectations of the students and themselves with the goal of developing skills in diagnosing, analyzing, developing and implementing solutions to a wide variety of problems in public and private organizations. The College promotes active learning by encouraging students to manage complex, interdisciplinary problems, marshal resources, and take responsibility for implementing effective solutions. Expected student involvement includes research problems, group case analyses, internships and consulting with organizations throughout the region. Students are encouraged to actively involve themselves in professional service, contributions to society, and the life-long pursuit of knowledge through scholarship and research.

In an environment of mutual trust and support, concerned faculty help students learn the elements of managing resources to achieve a purpose while emphasizing the skills of writing, presenting, and speaking; technological proficiency; and critical thinking in a global context. The students’ relationship with faculty is facilitated by small class size. The faculty work closely with students to instill the values of intellectual integrity and objectivity; tolerance and respect for individuality and diversity; the intrinsic rewards of ethical behavior and social responsiveness; and appropriate competitive vigor balanced with the value of effective collaboration with others.

The Business Administration program provides students the opportunity to go forward in the broadest range of professional directions and build sound and rewarding careers. The academic program leading to a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration provides a broad, intellectual outlook and analytical skills for students who wish to combine a liberal arts education with academically rigorous course work in administration and decision-making needed for an eventual career in management or in preparation for graduate study. Course work provides an understanding of the variety of approaches to the complexity of managerial decision-making in the contextual framework of a global society.

An “Executive-in-Residence” program offers students the opportunity for wide-ranging discussions and contact with chief executives from important organizations in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors.

Scholarships available for majors in business administration include the Frances Holsclaw Brown ’44 Scholarship, the Coleman Family Farm Scholarship, the Evelyn Harrell Scholarship, the Fred. E. Miller Memorial Scholarship, the Benjamin T. Pitts Scholarship, The Elizabeth Griffith Schmidt ’35 Scholarship, the Harry Skinker Scholarship, the George and Monecia Helton Taylor, ’81 Scholarship in Business, and the Wachovia Scholarship in Business. Many students belong to the campus chapters of the Accounting Society and Phi Beta Lambda. Students who establish outstanding records of academic achievement may be elected to Sigma Beta Delta, the national honor society in business management and administration.

Senior Business Administration majors who have a strong interest in research and an outstanding academic record may elect to pursue the Departmental Honors program. To be eligible, a student must have a 3.25 grade-point average in upper-division Business Administration courses and a 3.0 overall grade-point average. Honors work consists of expository or original research written in thesis format and defended before a Honors Committee of faculty. Students pursuing Honors in Business Administration register for three credits of 491 each semester of the senior year.

If students would like to emphasize a specific business area through the selection of their electives, they may choose courses from the following areas and courses.

Accounting: 331, 332, 333, 334, 335, 432, 435A, 437.

Management: 345, 346, 347, 363, 425, 473.

Management Information Systems: 354, 356, 363, 441, 446, 448.

Marketing: 410, 413, 414.

Additional elective courses in these areas of emphasis may be selected in consultation with the student’s advisor.

Students considering majoring in Business Administration must take Mathematics 200 or its equivalent (Computer Science 320, Economics 361, or Psychology 261), and Economics 201 and 202, which are required prerequisites for certain courses in the major.

Experiential Learning

The Business Research Experience course provides students with another option (besides the internship option) for fulfilling the general education experiential learning requirement. The Business Research Experience course is designed to be taken simultaneously with BUAD 259: Applied Statistics and Business Research. The Business Research Experience requires students to undertake a rigorous business research project on behalf of a corporate or non-profit sponsoring organization. Students must submit a proposal by the fourth week of their BUAD 259 class that 1) specifies a corporate or non-profit research sponsor, and 2) outlines a clear problem statement and research plan. If the proposed project is granted approval the student must sign an experiential learning contract that obligates them to complete the stated research. Students who complete the project and achieve the objectives stated in the approved proposal will be deemed to have fulfilled the general education experiential learning requirement. Please contact the Associate Dean for Faculty for further details.

Accounting Track

Students interested in pursuing accounting and the CPA designation have the opportunity to complete the requisite business and accounting courses to qualify them to sit for the uniform CPA examination upon graduation. The accounting courses are: BUAD 131, 132, 331, 332, 333, 334, 335, 431, 432 and 435. Please note that this is not a major in accounting; rather, it is the sequence of courses to be taken by students interested in preparing for the uniform CPA examination.

Business Administration Course Offerings

Business Administration course offerings will be found under the 4 letter code of BUAD in the course listings.

105 – Perspectives on Organizations in Society (3)

The evolution of economic systems from political, sociological, and cultural perspectives are examined in order to understand the interactive nature of business, governmental, and societal systems. This course introduces the conceptual foundations necessary to make informed, well-reasoned analyses of the current issues involving an array of organizations from the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors of the economy.

131-132 – Principles of Accounting (3, 3)

This two-course sequence introduces fundamental accounting techniques and procedures for gathering and reporting financial information used by management and others to plan, evaluate, and control and to insure appropriate use and accountability for its resources. Only in sequence.

135 – Intensive Principles of Accounting (6)

Introduction of fundamental accounting techniques and procedures for gathering and reporting financial information used by management and others to plan, evaluate, and control, and to insure appropriate use of and accountability for its resources. The course is a substitute for BUAD 131 and 132. Students who have taken BUAD 131 and 132 are not eligible to take this course.

152 – Management Information Systems and Applications (3)

The purpose of this course is to examine the technical, business and management aspects of management information systems through the study of MIS theory and concepts. Emphasis is placed on how and why different types of information systems have become an essential part of organizations. Students gain experience solving real world business problems using different information systems applications throughout the course.

259 – Applied Statistics and Business Research (3)

Prerequisite: MATH 200 or similar Statistics course. This course introduces students to the scientific method to facilitate their understanding of what constitutes good and bad research and enable them to design and conduct research studies. In addition, the course provides students with skills necessary to analyze, synthesize and evaluate statistical information in order to make informed and appropriate decisions in the workplace and to prepare students for research courses in graduate school.

283 – Legal Environment of Business (3)

This course focuses on the legal, political, and ethical framework in which businesses and other types of organizations operate. Topics include: common law and statutory business crimes and torts, common law contracts, business entities, securities regulation, employer/employee relations, environmental protection, and personal and real property laws. In addition, the legal consequences of the choice of business entity are explored while studying sole proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations.

300 – Principles of Management (3)

Prerequisite: BUAD 131 and Junior status. An integrative approach to organizational concepts, principles, philosophy, and theory in public, private, and not-for-profit organizations is emphasized. Current decision-making approaches utilizing theories of organizational behavior, general systems and contingency theories are linked to the managerial functions of planning, organizing, leadership, and control.

310 – Principles of Marketing (3)

Prerequisites: ECON 201 or ECON 202; BUAD 131; Junior Status; and COB Student Status or permission of instructor. The place of marketing in the global economy and the policies and practices of marketing institutions are explored. Major topics included are marketing functions, organization, research, merchandising, channels of distribution and transportation. Also, problems concerning ethics and social responsibility in the marketing arena are discussed.

312 – Retailing: Online, Offline (3)

Prerequisite: BUAD 310; and business administration major or permission of the Associate Dean for Faculty. This course explores the evolution of retailing, retail organizational strategies, store layout, atmospherics, and investigates the options traditional retailers have in applying online sales strategies. Other non-store retail operations, such as automatic vending, catalogs and direct sales, are discussed.

331, 332 – Intermediate Accounting (3, 3)

Prerequisite: BUAD 132; and business administration major or permission of the Associate Dean for Faculty. This two-course sequence places emphasis on the theory and history of accounting principles and their application to the acquisition of assets, determination of income, and the preparation of analysis of financial statements. Only in sequence.

333 – Cost/Managerial Accounting (3)

Prerequisite: BUAD 132; and business administration major or permission of the Associate Dean for Faculty. The material in this course concentrates of the principles and procedures for planning and controlling routine and non-routine decisions, setting policy, and performing long-range planning. The course focuses on cost behavior, standard costing, flexible budgeting, cost allocation, performance measurement, and analysis for decision-making.

334 – Federal Taxation of Individuals (3)

Prerequisite: BUAD 132; and business administration major or permission of the Associate Dean for Faculty. Federal income taxation of individuals is studied in reference to gross income, deductions and credits, sales, other disposition of property, changes in the law, and economic impact of the law.

335 – Federal Taxation of Business (3)

Prerequisite: BUAD 334; and business administration major or permission of the Associate Dean for Faculty. This course develops knowledge about federal income tax for partnerships, corporations, and owners’ fiduciary responsibilities in reporting income.

345 – Organizational Behavior (3)

Prerequisite: BUAD 259 or PSYC 261 and BUAD 300. This course explores the behavioral aspects of organizations, presenting concepts, theories, research and research techniques that can be applied to enhance understanding of people in organizations. Topics included are personnel selection and placement, job and work environments, worker motivation, job satisfaction, and the organizational and social context of human work. Cross-listed as PSYC 385.

346 – Human Resource Management (3)

Prerequisite: BUAD 300; and business administration major or permission of the Associate Dean for Faculty. The philosophy, principles, and policies needed to develop effective personnel management and industrial relations programs in business, governmental, and not-for-profit organizations are developed and discussed. Cross-listed as PSYC 386.

347 – Organizational Development and Change (3)

Prerequisite: Business administration major, and one of the following: BUAD 300, 345 or 346, or PSYC 301, 385, or 386; or permission of the Associate Dean for Faculty. This course develops a system-wide application of behavioral science methods, theories, and accumulated knowledge to the change and reinforcement of organizational strategies, structures, and processes for improving organizational effectiveness. Cross-listed as PSYC 387.

350 – Business Communication (3)

Prerequisites: BUAD 152, 259; and business administration major or permission of the Associate Dean for Faculty. In this course students study Business Communication as a strategic process. The emphasis of the course is on the practical application of written and oral principles of business communication, including audience management, information control, and mastery of language. Additional areas of study include discourse analysis, oral and multimedia presentation techniques and critiques, intra- and inter-cultural differences in communication, impromptu speaking, and structured and planned briefings.

353 – Decision Analysis (3)

Prerequisites: BUAD 152 and MATH 200 or similar statistics course. This course introduces a variety of Management Science models for use in analysis of “business” problems. A computer software package provides the computational basics for case analysis of problems in linear programming, inventory, waiting lines, PERT/CPM, and simulation.

354 – Database Management Systems(3)

Prerequisites: BUAD 152; and business administration major or permission of the Associate Dean for Faculty. The importance of relational databases in business environments is emphasized and demonstrated through real world case studies and exercises. Students gain experience in planning, designing, developing and implementing business application databases for different business purposes such as modeling and decision making.

356 – Principles of Knowledge Management Systems (3)

Prerequisites: BUAD 152; and business administration major or permission of the Associate Dean for Faculty. The design and implementation of knowledge management systems that support a variety of business areas are emphasized. Management challenges associated with collecting, organizing and sharing knowledge are discussed in detail.

363 – Operations Management (3)

Prerequisite: BUAD 353; and business administration major or permission of the Associate Dean for Faculty. Operations management is an area of business concerned with the production of goods and services. It involves the study of concepts, theories and techniques relating to the operations functions in both manufacturing and service organizations. Lectures, discussions, and case studies are used to provide a comprehensive knowledge of the theories, current practices, and trends in several topical areas of operations management. Quantitative tools of analysis used to support decision making in the various operations management are surveyed. (Credit is not granted for both BUAD 363 and LRSP 433.).

381 – Principles of Finance (3)

Prerequisites: ECON 201, BUAD 132, 152, 259, 353; and business administration major or permission of the Associate Dean for Faculty. An overview of financial management which provides identification and solution of financial problems. Coverage includes the role of financial management, tools of financial analysis, cost of capital, financial structure, long term assets and financial forecasting.

384 – Commercial Law (3)

Prerequisite: BUAD 283; and business administration major or permission of the Associate Dean for Faculty. This course provides in-depth study of laws affecting commercial transactions and the rationale underlying rights and obligations of parties to these transactions. The Uniform Code is emphasized, especially the Articles dealing with Sales, Commercial Paper, Bank Deposits, Bulk Transfers, Document of Title, and Secured Transactions. The topics of Antitrust, Consumer Protection, Labor Law, and Insurance matters are explored.

400 – Analytics Application Development (4)

Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in CPSC 220 or equivalent. A course in programming and data manipulation techniques for constructing analytics-based applications. Topics include SQL and no-SQL databases, using web service API’s to acquire data, introduction to Hadoop and MapReduce, and use of third-party analytic component API’s.

403 –Foundations and Applications of Data Analytics (3)

Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in CPSC 220 or equivalent. This course develops an overview of the challenges of developing and applying analytics for insight and decision-making. Examples and cases will come from customer relation management, price modeling, social media analytics, location analysis and other business domains.

410 – International Marketing (3)

Prerequisite: BUAD 310; and business administration major or permission of the Associate Dean for Faculty. The focus of this course is to understand the challenges companies face in conducting the international marketing. Students explore various strategies to successfully manage international marketing efforts, including analysis of world markets, consumer behavior, foreign environments, and the marketing management methods required to meet the demands of the global marketplace. The problems of foreign competition, diminishing U.S. market share, and US economy’s interdependence with world markets are covered. Also assessed are different foreign market entry strategies.

413 – Marketing Research (3)

Prerequisites: BUAD 259, 310; and business administration major or permission of the Associate Dean for Faculty. Research in marketing is used as a tool to identify, collect, and analyze data relevant to decision-making for businesses. Relevant statistical software is used to analyze client data. Ethical considerations related to research findings also are discussed.

414 – Marketing Strategy (3)

Prerequisite: BUAD 310; and business administration major or permission of the Associate Dean for Faculty. This course serves as a capstone survey of the major topics in contemporary marketing. Topics included are delineation of market targets, the development and implementation of the marketing mix, the control and analysis of the total marketing effort, strategy, strategic decision-making tools, ethics, as well as comprehensive case studies.

420 – Negotiation (3)

Prerequisite: BUAD 350, senior status; and business administration major or permission of the Associate Dean for Faculty. An exploration of negotiation techniques and strategies, including: understanding opponents, determining needs and identifying objectives, and managing concessions and power dynamics, all with an eye towards maintaining goodwill and building long-term, productive professional relationships. The course will cover individual, group, multi-party, agented, and cross-cultural negotiations, through theoretical study and practical application.

425 – Leadership Theory and Practice (3)

Prerequisite: BUAD 300. This course involves study of contemporary leadership theory, with emphasis on practical application of those theories. Characteristics of effective leaders, contemporary leadership models, strategic leadership, ethics, power, politics, influence tactics, teamwork, motivation and coaching skills, creativity and innovation, communication, and conflict resolution, are discussed. Students have the opportunity to explore personal leadership styles, learn how to modify them, how to apply them effectively in their work, and write a personal vision statement. Experiential exercises, cases, and other strategies are applied to enhance learning theory and acquire, enhance, and integrate leadership skills related to leading contemporary work organizations.

426 – Communication and Technology (3)

Prerequisite: Business administration major or permission of the Associate Dean for Faculty. Speaking Intensive and Writing Intensive. This course emphasizes the growing role of digital communication within the business sector. Students will analyze, design, implement and test a website or interactive media project. In so doing, students will be introduced to broader communication concepts such as written and visual rhetoric, digital design, information architecture, and organizational image.

431 – Governmental and Not-for-Profit Accounting (3)

Prerequisite: BUAD 331; and business administration major or permission of the Associate Dean for Faculty. This course covers governmental accounting, including the reporting requirements and interactions between government-wide financial statements and financial statements for governmental, propriety and fiduciary funds. Budgeting, costing of services, long-term liabilities, debt services, auditing, and evaluation of governmental and not-for-profit entities, including federal and state governments, municipalities, and entities such as schools and hospitals, are examined

432 – Advanced Accounting Problems (3)

Prerequisite: BUAD 332; and business administration major or permission of the Associate Dean for Faculty. This course addresses problems in financial accounting and practice theory dealing with partnerships, corporations, consolidated statements, and fiduciary accounting.

435 – Auditing (3)

Prerequisite: BUAD 331; and business administration major or permission of the Associate Dean for Faculty. This course examines audit concepts, theory, standards, and procedures, as well as ethical and legal requirements within the context of audit evidence, documentation, and testing required before internal and external auditors issue their reports.

437 –Accounting Information Systems (3)

Prerequisite: BUAD 132, 152; and business administration major or permission of the Associate Dean for Faculty. This course covers how information technology is used to effectively manage and control the financial transactions associated with electronic commerce in a global, internet-based economy. Systems selection/development and implementation is analyzed as are the business processes that are integral to the value chain. Specific transaction cycles are discussed with an internal controls focus.

441 –Information Security (3)

Prerequisite: BUAD 152; and business administration major or permission of the Associate Dean for Faculty. This course provides an understanding of the concepts involved in securing information, both from a technical and business perspective Skills required to analyze and evaluate the security of information from a variety of viewpoints are presented. Current research is used to discuss management issues associated with creating policies and implementing procedures for information security in organizations.

446 –Systems Analysis and Design(3)

Prerequisite: BUADn 152; and business administration major or permission of the Associate Dean for Faculty. This course examines systems analysis theory and concepts that are used to design and analyze different types of information systems from a technical and business perspective. System analysis techniques and design processes used by organizations are presented. The complexity of analyzing and designing information systems to support current and future business.

448 –Project Management for IT (3)

Prerequisite: BUAD 152; and business administration major or permission of the Associate Dean for Faculty. This course covers methods for the analysis, design, and implementation of information technology projects from a project management and information systems perspective. Topics include investigating hardware and software needs, cost estimating, scheduling, and human resource management. Students are required to design feasibility plans based on current research. Principles, methods, tools and techniques available to assist managers in planning, implementing, and controlling projects are also discussed. Practical projects and the implications for managers are addressed. (Credit is not granted for both BUAD 448 and CIST 461.).

460 – Management Creativity (3)

Prerequisite: Senior status; and business administration major or permission of the Associate Dean for Faculty. This course’s objective is to develop an understanding of the role of creativity in decision-making and problem solving, and to recognize the role of intuition in such processes. Management is decision making and most non-routine decisions ultimately rely on uncertain or vague information and less-than precise data. This course will help to temper the theoretical education of future managers.

464 – Business Ethics (3)

Prerequisite: Senior status; and business administration major or permission of the Associate Dean for Faculty. A study of ethical conduct in management and the elements involved. The course will use a series of applied case studies (illustrating both positive and negative models) to provide an understanding of how to recognize a moral dilemma, evaluate the implications of proposed actions and develop a response. The student should leave with an understanding of ethics and social responsibility as they relate to management.

471 – Business Administration Seminars (3)

Prerequisite: Business Administration major, permission of instructor, and permission of the Associate Dean for Faculty. Special topics of interest to staff and students are discussed in individual seminars which focus on specific areas within the various disciplines of Business Administration, e.g., Accounting Theory; Management; Legal; Social, and Ethical Issues; Marketing; Finance.

473 – Environment of International Business Seminar (3)

Prerequisites: ECON 201; and business administration major or permission of the Associate Dean for Faculty. The political, cultural, and economic aspects of the international business environment are explored in depth. The goal of this seminar is to develop an understanding of the forces at work in the global conduct of business across national boundaries.

490 – Strategic Management (3)

Prerequisites: BUAD 283, 300, 310, 350, 381; and business administration major or permission of the Associate Dean for Faculty. A capstone course designed to integrate the student’s study of management. Advanced case studies and simulations prove a series of integrating experiences where students assume the role of the chief executive officer in a variety of organizational sectors (private, public, not-for-profit). Students are required to make managerial decisions concerning formulation of policy, strategy and tactics along with ethical considerations in organizations’ multifaceted relationships with the external environment.

Prerequisites: Junior or senior status, requires permission of instructor and permission of the Associate Dean for Faculty. Directed by a department faculty member, students conduct individual research focusing on an approved topic of interest in business administration. This course does not satisfy the upper-level elective requirement for the major.

499 – Internship (variable credit, 1–3)

Prerequisites: Junior or senior status; business administration major, minor or 15 hours of BUAD courses or equivalent; permission of instructor and permission of the Associate Dean of Faculty. A supervised work experience in a sponsoring organization developed in consultation with, and under the supervision of, a department faculty member. This course does not satisfy the upper-level elective requirement for the major. Directed by a department faculty member, students conduct individual research focusing on an approved topic of interest in business administration. This course does not satisfy the upper-level elective requirement for the major.